Part of a package of four bills to re-introduce the biannual indexation of fuel excise and excise-equivalent fuel duties, the bill establishes the Fuel Indexation (Road Funding) special account to make grants of financial assistance to the states and territories for expenditure in relation to road infrastructure investment.

to provide that the deductible amount for defined benefit income streams, excluding military defined benefits schemes, is capped at a maximum 10 per cent of the gross payments to an individual for the income year.

The bill: establishes the Office of Animal Welfare as an independent statutory authority with responsibility for advising on the protection of animal welfare in Commonwealth regulated activities; provides for the functions, appointment, and terms and conditions of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO); provides for staff and consultants; establishes the Office of Animal Welfare Advisory Committee to advise the CEO; and provides for reporting requirements.

to: enable the Executive Director of Township Leasing, on behalf of the Commonwealth, to hold a sublease of Aboriginal land; enable the transfer of the sublease between the executive director and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation; provide for the Aboriginals Benefit Account to be used for payments in relation to the acquisition and administration of the sublease by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation or the executive director; and add parcels of land in the Wickham River area and in the Simpson Desert to be granted as Aboriginal land to the relevant Aboriginal Land Trusts.

The bill: requires Government boards to comprise of at least 40 per cent men and 40 per cent women; and provides for annual reporting requirements in relation to the gender composition of Government boards.

to provide statutory authority for the Commonwealth to provide assistance to other countries to carry into effect arrangements for the processing and management of unauthorised maritime arrivals who have been taken to regional processing countries, including the expenditure of Commonwealth money on these arrangements.

to: provide tax relief to taxpayers entering into certain arrangements in relation to mining, quarrying and prospecting rights and information; and amend the company loss recoupment rules;

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997

to extend the effective life of in-house software from four to five years; and

Income Tax Assessment Act 1997

,

Income Tax (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997

and

Taxation Administration Act 1953

to provide income tax look-through treatment for instalment warrants, instalment receipts, and other similar arrangements, and for certain limited recourse borrowing arrangements entered into by regulated superannuation funds.